Revolving fire-box



(N 0 Model.)

J. 0. HENDERSON. REVOLVING FIRE BOX.

Patented Dec. 80

WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT Qu -ion.

JOSEPH C. HENDERSON, OF TROY, NElV YORK.

REVOLVING FIRE-BOX.

, @PECIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,850, dated December 30, 1890.

' Application filed July 2, 1890 Serial No. 357,590/ (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. HENDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Fire-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of certain improvements in a revolving fire-box, in combination with the combustion-chamber of any stove or furnace, as hereinafter described an d claimed. The objects of my invention are to effect a thorough combustion of the gases arising from the freshly-supplied and consuming coals, a

thorough and economical consumption of fuel, and to maintain a constant hot bright fire at the top of the fire-box.

It is well-known that in supplying coal to the top of a fire within a stove or furnace the effect is to cover the fire and temporarily subdue it and to decrease materially the temperature by the absorption of heat by the fresh coals, and that some time is necessarily occupied before the fresh fuel is ignited and the desired high temperature is obtained, while in the meantime the light gases formed from the fresh layer of fuel are unconsumed and carried away. The bad results from this ordinary method of burning coal is a diminution of temperature often just when a high temperature is most needed and great delay in cooking or heating and the production of a constantlyvariable temperature. The means by which I overcome these objections and which constitute my invention are illustrated in one form in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved fire-box and its connections with an adjoining casting and a grate; and Fig. 2, a view in elevation, partly in section, of the same.

In the drawings the fire-box or chamber is shown as composed of two equal curved plates E E, joined to a head A at each end, and having between them an opposite top and bottom opening for the insertion of fuel and to afford communication with the grate. The box is supported and revolves on trunnions D on the heads A, which pass through and are supported by the outside casing. The fire-box can be lined with fire-brick.

B B are curved plates at the frontand rear of the box to form a cylindrical chamber in which the box revolves. This chamber may be formed, as shown,or maybe made of plates or parts detached from the casing. It will be noticed that the chamber is so separated from the fire-box as to form a space it around or on both sides of the box between it and the easing. The functions of this space are to avoid friction between box and chamber, to afford room for expansion of the box, to constitute an air-space around the box to prevent its destruction by overheat, and, what is more important, to provide passages for conducting the gases evolved from the fresh fuel at the bottom of the box to the top of the same, where, meeting the live or incandescent fuel, they are consumed, thereby adding to the heat of the fire, and at the same time by their increased force and combustion increasing and maintaining the draft. The gases and air, it will also be noticed, are highly heated in their course up the said passages, thereby adding to their volatilized condition and combustibility.

G is a grate beneath the fire-box. The form of such grate must be circular to allow the cylinder to revolve within the box which the grate helps to form.

F are lugs on the heads A of the fire-box, which meet corresponding lugs F on the castin g, so that when the box is revolved after the admission of fresh fuel it is given but a halfturn.

When the cylindrical fire-chamber is supplied with fresh fuel, it is turned by means of a crank applied to a trunnion and the fuel on top is turned down on the grate below, and,

the burning fuel is brought to the top. The grate is revolved to clear off the ashes, which adds to the draft, a bright fire is maintained on top, while the gases evolved from the bottom by the heat pass through the fire and are more perfectly consumed. The highly-heated air circulating upward through the spaces between the fire-box and outer casing carries with it the volatile gases, and the curved walls of the fire-box carry these gases from opposite directions directly over and into the top meeting and mixing with the gases arising y from the incandescent fuel a fresh fire and a strong draft is at once commenced and maintained at the top of the fuel.

I am aware that revolving grates, like that I of Dr. Franklins, have been used to turn the fresh coal to the top and the live coal to the bottom, and that partially-revolving and perpen dicular] y-movin g fire boxes or barrels have been also invented for the same purpose; but it will be noticed that in such cases the same have been openon all sides to the outer air or rotated and revolved in an open air-space, which operation I have found objectionable and impracticable in the matter of consuming the gases and maintaining perfect draft and combustion. I am also aware that revolving fire-boxes have been constructed with spaces between the sides of the box and easing, but

with such spaces closed by flanges extending between the fire-box and the case.

from the sides of the fire-box, the function of said flanges being to hold and scrape down any ashes or pieces of coal that may get in I am further aware that it is old in stoves to form a space back of the grate and between it and the case, which leads the outside air from the box below the grate, heats it, and discharges the heated air into the top of the grate, but in such case does not lead the gases from the bottom of the bed of unignited fuel within and above thegrate, but only air from the outside; and I do not therefore claim, broadly, any of the single features of a revolving firebox or such a box having air-spaces around it; but

\Vhat I claim is 1. A cylindrical fire-box having opposite openings, in combination with a surrounding cylindrical casing, said casing separated from the fire-box so as to form inclosed butunobstructed passages on both sides of thefire-box, which communicate with said opposite openings, and a grate beneath said box and separated therefrom,whereby room for the expansion of the box is secured and air and gases from the bottom opening are conducted through said passages to the upper opening and projected from both sides across the chamber over the top of the fire and thoroughly mixed therewith, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the cylindrical revolving fire-box, t-he cylindrical casing, and the circular revolving grate, the walls of the said fire-box entirely separated and disconnected from said casing and grate and located above the grate, the said grate also separated from said casing, but on a line therewith, and means for revolving said grate and box independently of each other, substantially as and. for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature Ill presence of two Witnesses. V

JOSEPII (J. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

JNo. OI'IAGAN, (-ino. G. CoLEeA'rn. 

